Patatas a lo Pobre

Easy·15 min

'Poor man's potatoes' — thin slices of potato slow-cooked in olive oil with onions and green peppers until meltingly soft, then finished with garlic, parsley, and a splash of vinegar. A humble Andalusian side often crowned with a fried egg.

A simple dish from Andalusian cuisine, said to originate around Granada, traditionally eaten during lean times.

Soft, oil-confited potato slices that almost melt, sweetened by slow-cooked onion and pepper, lifted by a sharp tang of vinegar and raw garlic at the end. With a runny fried egg on top it becomes a whole meal. Frugal made delicious.

Cooking the potatoes slowly in abundant olive oil works like a confit, softening the starch evenly without browning hard. A final hit of vinegar and raw garlic cuts the richness and sharpens the flavor.

Variations

con huevo (with fried egg); with chorizo or jamón added; without peppers in some regions

On the Palate

Where Patatas a lo Pobre sits in the Spanish flavor cloud

Ingredients

Serves 4

How it's made

8 steps · 15 min

1
8 min
Peel the potatoes and slice them into thin, even rounds.
2
4 min
Slice the onion and green peppers into strips.
3
2 min
Heat plenty of olive oil in a wide pan over medium-low heat.
4
18 min
Add the potatoes, onion, and peppers and cook gently, turning often, until very soft.
Watch out
Keep the heat low enough that the potatoes never sizzle hard — they should stew soft in the oil, not fry crisp.
5
3 min
Season with salt and let some edges turn lightly golden.
Watch out
Let just the edges catch a pale gold — full browning means the oil got too hot and the flesh turns tough.
6
2 min
Drain off most of the oil and add sliced garlic and chopped parsley to the pan.
7
2 min
Splash in a little wine vinegar and toss to coat everything.
Watch out
Add the vinegar off the direct boil and toss fast — you want the sharp lift, not to steam it all away.
8
2 min
Serve warm, topped with a fried egg if desired.